This invention relates to a load carrying vehicle, such as a funeral vehicle, having a loading floor with an enhanced width to maximize the load carrying potential of the vehicle within the boundaries of the external vehicle structure.
Load carrying vehicles, such as funeral vehicles, are well-known in the art and are typically constructed by converting a sedan or station wagon type of vehicle into a vehicle having a body which bounds a load carrying space. In a funeral vehicle, this load carrying space accommodates a casket, flowers, or other items associated with a fumeral. During the conversion, it is necessary to install a load carrying floor within the load carrying space of the vehicle body to support the rather substantial weight of the casket. It is, of course, desirable to achieve the maximum load carrying space within the confines of the exterior surface of the vehicle body.
Vehicle bodies typically have inner fender panels which define an inner surface of the wheel wells which accommodate the rear wheels and various suspension components of the vehicle. The tire width and the suspension geometry often dictate that the inner fender panels protrude inwardly into the load carrying space of the vehicle body to accommodate wheel and suspension component movement. The protrusion of the inner fender panels often determines the maximum width of the load carrying floor which can be installed in the vehicle body.
The protrusion of the inner fender panels into the load carrying space of the vehicle body may be worsened by the mounting of a vibration damper between the suspension and the vehicle body. Vibration dampers are typically referred to as xe2x80x9cshock absorbersxe2x80x9d, or xe2x80x9cshock strutsxe2x80x9d (when they also form a suspension member) and serve to dampen the vibratory oscillations of the vehicle suspension. In order to achieve the proper ride and handling characteristics of a vehicle, the vibration dampers typically have a lower end attached to a movable suspension component and an upper end attached to the inner fender panel of the vehicle body. In order to achieve the proper ride and handling characteristics, the upper attaching points of the vibration dampers are located inwardly toward the centerline of the vehicle, such that the vibration dampers have longitudinal axes that are angled inwardly toward a vertical plane passing through the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle. This desirable orientation of the vibration dampers necessitates the protrusion of the inner fender panels further into the load carrying space, thereby minimizing the width of the load carrying floor.
It is known to enhance the width of the loading floor of a funeral vehicle by altering the orientation of the vibration dampers from their inwardly angled positions to vertical positions by changing the mounting location of the upper attachments of the vibration dampers. However, while this technique achieves an increase in width of the loading floor, it also changes the suspension geometry of the vehicle, thereby changing its ride and handling characteristics.
Thus, there is believed to be a need for a load carrying vehicle, such as a funeral vehicle, having an enhanced loading floor with a maximized width, while at the same time incurring minimal changes to the suspension geometry of the vehicle to maintain the ride and handling characteristics of the vehicle.
A load carrying vehicle, such as a funeral vehicle, is disclosed having a vibration damper with a first end attached to the vehicle body at a first lateral distance from a longitudinal centerline of the vehicle body and a second end attached to a suspension member which, in turn, is movably attached to the vehicle body. The load carrying vehicle also includes a load carrying floor mounted to the vehicle body and located above the attachment of the first end of the vibration damper to the vehicle body, the load carrying floor having a side edge located at a second lateral distance from the longitudinal centerline of the body, such that the second lateral distance is greater than the first lateral distance. Thus, the side edge of the load carrying floor extends laterally outwardly of the attachment of the first end of the vibration damper to the vehicle body.
This invention also relates to a load carrying vehicle, such as a funeral vehicle, having an opening through each of the inner fender panels and a cross-member attached to the vehicle body in a load carrying space, the cross-member extending across the load carrying space between the inner fender panels and having a vibration damper mounting portion aligned with each of the openings in the inner fender panels.
More specifically, the invention relates to a funeral vehicle for transporting a casket or the like having a vehicle body bounding an elongated casket carrying space with inner fender panels located on the opposite lateral sides of the casket carrying space, and opening through each of the inner fender panels, a cross-member attached to the vehicle body in the casket carrying space and extending across the space between the inner fender panels, the cross-member having a vibration damper mounting portion aligned with the openings in each of the inner fender panels. The funeral vehicle also has a casket carrying floor with a casket carrying surface above the vibration damper mounting portions of the cross-member with opposite side edges of the casket carrying surface located laterally outwardly of the vibration damper mounting portions of the cross-member.
The present invention also encompasses a method of increasing the width of a load carrying surface in a vehicle body with a rear suspension including vibration dampers. The method includes the steps of removing the first vibration dampers from the vehicle, removing a portion of each inner fender panel including the attachment points for the first vibration dampers to create an opening through each of the inner fender panels, attaching a cross-member to the vehicle body such that the cross-member extends across the vehicle body between the inner fender panels and has vibration damper attachment portions aligned with the openings in the inner fender panels, attaching second vibration dampers between the suspension member and the attachment portions of the cross-member, and mounting a load carrying floor having a load carrying surface in the vehicle body such that the load carrying surface is located above the vibration damper attachment portions and opposite lateral side edges of the load carrying surface are located a greater distance from a longitudinal centerline of the vehicle body than are the attachment portions attaching the vibration damper to the cross-member.